Vehicle driving mechanism.



- No. e7|,47a. Patented Apr. 9, 19m.

.1. Emma. I VEHICLE DRIVING MECHANISM. I (no Model.) (Application filedIn. .10, 1900.)

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THE Noam przns co. Pucmuwu, WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANNES GRIMME, OF BOCHUM, GERMANY.

VEHICLE DRIVING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,478, dated April 9,1901.

Application filed March 10 1900. Serial No. 8,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHANNES GRIMME, a subject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and a resident of Bochum, in the Province of Westphalia,German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle Driving Mechanism, of which the following is an exactspecification.

The present invention relates to improvements in velocipedes, and hasfor its object to provide a hand propelling mechanism for such vehicles.

A chief feature of myinvention is that the center of gravity of thevehicle never is altered, as hitherto wasthe case with the mechanismsgenerally employed.

A second feature of my mechanism-is its great simplicity.

The purpose of my invention is to render bicycle-riding more safe and toallow of all force of the rider being utilized.

In my invention I employ levers movinglike ordinary handle-bars in ahorizontal plane. These levers are arranged in such manner that thevehicle always is in equilibrium.

The hand-propeller forming the subjectmatter of my invention issufficient for driving the vehicle and it is absolutely superfluous toemploy the feet for this purpose.

My mechanism will be more fully understood with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a verticalelevation view of a tricycle according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a topview of the same.

The rider sits upon the saddle a and reposes his feet upon thestep-board b. The levers c are arranged symmetrically to the center lineof the vehicle and act upon vertical shafts d d, arranged laterally tothe frame of the front Wheel. The shafts d dat their lower extremitiesare provided with levers e 6, ac-

machine simultaneously is rendered possible.

When the hand-levers c are moved horizontally, the levers e oscillate,while the cranks 9 describe a circular movement in vertical plane. Toeffect this movement, both connecting-rods f are connected with thecranks g and levers e by links.

In the construction as illustrated in the drawings single levers areprovided, being adapted to be moved forward or backward in the manner ofoars.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what I desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- In velocipedes, theapplication of a hand driving mechanism to the frame of the front wheel,so as, when steering the wheel, to be rotated with it, said mechanismconsisting of rods d mounted in the frame of the front wheel andprovided with handles 0, of levers e e, connecting-rods ff and cranks g9 projecting in one direction, all these parts suitably connected toeach other and transmitting the movement of the handles 0 c to the frontwheel, the whole for the purpose as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

J OHANNES GRIMME.

Witnesses WOLDEMAR' HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

